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Lt George Sainton Kaye Butterworth MC, KIA 5 August 1916


Medic7922

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Name: BUTTERWORTH, GEORGE SAINTON KAYE

Initials: G S K

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Lieutenant

Regiment: Durham Light Infantry

Unit Text: 13th Bn.

Age: 31

Date of Death: 05/08/1916

Awards: MC

Additional information: Son of Sir Alexander Kaye Butterworth, Kt., LL.B., of 16, Frognal Gardens, Hampstead, London, and the late Julia Marguerite (nee Wigan) his wife,.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: Pier and Face 14 A and 15 C.

Cemetery: THIEPVAL MEMORIAL

Has any of the PALS any information on George Butterworth on how he died as I am a great fan of he's music and would like to know more about him.

Incidently the haunting music composed by him "A Shropshire Lad" is used through the BBC series WAR WALKS on the First World War subjects which is introduced by proffessor Richard Holmes.

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Lt G. Butterworth was shot and killed by a sniper whilst taking part in a trench raid near Pozieres, Somme on the 5th August 1916.

Simon Bendry

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There have been a couple of threads including the location of the trench named after him - do a search on Butterworth.

Regards

Simon

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Does anyone know of readily available CD's?

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Does anyone know of readily available CD's?

I have a nice one comprising Peter Warlock's Capriol Suite and the Butterworth Shropshire Lad / Housman pieces. (Also Britten, Frank Bridge, which I never listen to so can't comment.) I find it quite a sensitive interpretation, lingering and reflective.

Marriner / ASMF / Decca

(Edited because I had to go and find the CD. I see it's the one which ceebee also recommends in the following post.)

Gwyn

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Does anyone know of readily available CD's?

Here are some examples:

Decca - Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields - Sir Neville Marriner

Butterworth - The Banks of Green Willow; 2 English idylls, A Shropshire Lad

Britten - Variations on a theme of Frank Bridge

Warlock - Capitol Suite

Chandos - Bournemouth Sinf. - Del Mar

Butterworth - The Banks of Green Willow

Bantock - Pierrot of the minute

Bridge: Suite for strings

Nimbus - English String Orchestra - Boughton

Butterworth - The Banks of Green Willow; 2 English idylls, A Shropshire Lad

Bridge - Suite for strings

Parry - Lady Radnor's suite

I can recommend the Decca with ASMF and Marriner.

ceebee

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The map thread is here:

 

I see someone has question whether the trench map is correct, which is a new one on me.

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Lt G. Butterworth was shot and killed by a sniper whilst taking part in a trench raid near Pozieres, Somme on the 5th August 1916.

Simon Bendry

Does anyone know why Lt George Butterworth has no known grave, why was hes body not recovered by hes men as he was killed by a sniper and not blown up.

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Does anyone know why Lt George Butterworth has no known grave, why was hes body not recovered by hes men as he was killed by a sniper and not blown up.

Temporary grave later lost or destroyed?

Marina

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The 1916 Battle of the Somme continued for another three months following Butterworth's death. The German spring offensive of 1918 re-ignited the war of movement, and rolled back past the allied gains; it then swang back again. Many marked graves were lost as the ground was churned, pelted, marched and ridden over. Thousands of last resting places from both sides were lost as the action passed back and forth.

C'est la guerre.

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Gwyn / Ceebee - thanks for the responses.

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This is what I love about this Forum, I am a geat follower of english composers and now that I have started to enquire in to are military heritage I also find such great infomation on some of my favorite composers like Vaughan Williams and Butterworth

"Vaughan Williams volunteered to serve in the Field Ambulance Service in Flanders for the 1914–1918 war, during which he was deeply affected by the carnage and the loss of close friends such as the composer George Butterworth".

Please keep anymore information coming so I can combine my intrest even more

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  • 10 years later...

Hi can some kind soul tell me what medals apart from the M.C. Butterworth was entitled to?

Tony

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George Sainton Kaye Butterworth of 13 DLI, you could have added ! Firstly DCLI as an OR too.

1914-15 Star ( 1st landing 25.8.1915) British War and Victory Medals.MC for the Somme 1916.

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Thanks for that info! Great names!

Thanks for the info.

Tony

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Did he get an MID as well?

Tony

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Did he get an MID as well?

Tony

According to this, yes http://www.tillington.net/VA-BK.pdf- but I can't find the actual Gazette mention (haven't looked very hard admittedly).

sJ

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Lt. George Butterworth is not listed in Michael Maton's series of books "Honour Those Mentioned in Despatches in The Great War - Mentions in Despatches 1914 - 1922" (Mentions in Despatches published in the London Gazette).

Without wishing to cause controversy or offence George Butterworth's M.C. was never gazetted, so would the decoration have been presented to his father? I understand the award was not made posthumously. References to him include the post nominal, M.C. The Times stated in a report published on Saturday, August 26th 1916 that the award had been announced in the previous day's London Gazette, but the London Gazette, as published on that day, does not include his name and citation, nor was it published later.

post-43672-0-54689100-1452020237_thumb.j

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29724/supplement/8457 being the relevant page on which his name would have appeared in alphabetical order.

His wikipedia entry also makes interesting reading on the subject.

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Mark,

Thanks for pointing that out. Did not appreciate his name was Kaye-Butterworth, hyphenated. Sorted.

Eric

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Mark,

Thanks for pointing that out. Did not appreciate his name was Kaye-Butterworth, hyphenated. Sorted.

Eric

Not a problem Eric. It's something I have learned from working on my family tree.

Mark

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Hi,

The award was actually made by the GOC 23rd Division - this from "With Bayonets Fixed" 12th & 13th Durham Light Infantry 1914 - 18.

On 6 August 1916 Captain Edward Borrow, Adjutant 13th Durham Light Infantry wrote to the Butterworth family:

The Commanding Officer, Capt. G. White, has asked me to write and inform you of the very serious loss we have suffered in the death of your son. His talents as a Company Commander were undoubtedly great, and on the night of the 4/5th inst. when he was ordered to bomb up a trench and hold an important post, he personally supervised this work, so that now, as I write, the post, 20 yards from the enemy, remains in our hands. Unfortunately it was his thoroughness in supervision which indirectly led to his death. The trench had been so knocked about by bombs and shells that some places were very exposed, and a German saw him soon after dawn on the 5th. His brother officers and men dearly loved your son, and his absence from the Battalion will be greatly felt for a very long time to come.

On 8 August Captain Borrow again wrote:

The Commanding Officer wishes me to again write to you and inform you that the Commander-in-Chief has awarded your son the Military Cross. This was awarded him for the very excellent work he did during July. He again earned the Cross on the night of his death, and the great regret of the Commanding Officer and all his fellow officers is that your son did not live long enough to know that his pluck and ability as a Company Commander had received some reward.

Captain G. White himself wrote on 10 August:

The G.O.C. 23rd Division instructs me to forward you the ribbon of the Military Cross which he would have personally presented to your son to-day had Lieut. Butterworth lived. I also enclose a short account of the circumstances for which this decoration has been awarded.

Enclosure

Lieutenant George S. K. Butterworth

Near Pozieres from 17th to 19th July, 1916, commanded the Company, of which his Captain had been wounded, with great ability and coolness. By his energy and total disregard of personal safety he got his men to accomplish a good piece of work in linking up the front line. I have already brought forward the officer’s name for his work during the period 7th to 10th July, 1916.

MILITARY CROSS

H. WILKINSON

Lieut.-Col. A.A., Q.M.G., 23rd Division

George Butterworth's letters and diaries from the time he enlisted in the DCLI in September 1914 until his death in 1916 are extensively quoted in the book.

regards

John

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Thanks for info , so MID in doubt?

Tony

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There is no listing in "Honour Those Mentioned in The Great War...." for Lt. George Butterworth as Kaye-Butterworth.

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